The Empress naturally knew this as well. Her face was icy as she said, "If you’re not planning a rebellion, then what do you intend to do by bringing so many men here?"
The Demon Sect Elder licked his lips, a vicious look crossing his face. He said lightly, "Your Majesty is young, ambitious, and full of drive. That should be a good thing!"
"But overreaching, meddling in too many affairs... that is a sure way to court death!"
"For years, Your Majesty has openly competed with us for talent, while secretly recruiting personnel and amassing power... What exactly are you trying to do? I shouldn’t have to spell it out, should I?"
At these words,
an uproar erupted atop the city walls.
Many of the Royal Family Clan Relatives couldn’t stop themselves from complaining.
"Your Majesty, we told you long ago that our Imperial Family is weak right now! We told you not to provoke the Demon Sect and the Buddhist Sect, but you wouldn’t listen! Now look at the mess you’ve made!"
"The Demon Sect and Buddhist Sect are powerful, and they have Martial Arts Mythologies watching over them. Aren’t you just throwing us all into the fire with these actions?"
"The late Emperor had already reached an agreement with the Three Great Sects. Our Imperial Family would rule the lands surrounding Kyoto, and that was perfectly fine! Why did you have to do something like this?"
"If the two great sects actually attack the Capital City today, let’s see how you plan to deal with the fallout!"
Hearing this, the look on the Empress’s face darkened. She knew the Demon Sect and the Buddhist Sect wouldn’t just stand by and watch her grow stronger, but she never imagined the two great sects would react so quickly.
Of course, that wasn’t what chilled her to the bone.
What truly made her heart turn to ice was this pack of Royal Clan Relatives.
’The power of the Buddhist and Demon Sects is growing by the day. If I just let them continue to devour the world, how could the Liyang Dynasty possibly be spared? Eventually, even if we wanted to fight back, we wouldn’t have the strength left to resist.’
’We’d be nothing but lambs to the slaughter.’
’But these people are completely lost in their own extravagance and pleasure. It’s one thing that they have no desire to change the status quo, but to openly condemn me in front of all the civil and military officials...’
For her, this was like being attacked from both the front and the rear. A chilling stab straight through the heart.
Su Ying took a few deep breaths, ignoring the buzzing of the Royal Family and Relatives around her, who sounded like a swarm of flies.
Her almond eyes filled with an icy resolve.
Staring down at the two great sects, she said in a cold voice, "This is the Liyang Dynasty. Since when do We need your permission to do as We please?"
"You’ve brought all these men to Kyoto. What is it you want? Spit it out!"
"If you intend to storm the city, We will stand right here. We’d like to see if you dare commit regicide in front of the entire world!"
The Liyang Dynasty had, after all, been the legitimate ruler of the lands for nearly a thousand years.
Although it had now weakened to an extreme degree, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Unless it was absolutely necessary, none of the Three Great Sects wanted to risk a head-on clash.
This was also why neither of the two Martial Arts Mythologies had shown themselves.
Seeing a woman like the Empress possess such audacity, the disciples of the two great sects below couldn’t help but raise their eyebrows in surprise.
A Dharma Guardian Vajra from the Buddhist Sect, also a Grandmaster Realm expert with a white beard and hair, stepped forward. "There is no need for Your Majesty’s anger," he said. "We have not come here today with any intention of recklessly resorting to arms. If Your Majesty simply agrees to a few of our conditions, we will immediately withdraw our forces and depart!"
’’No intention of recklessly resorting to arms’... which means if I don’t agree to their conditions, they very well might.’
The Empress had guessed as much. Even so, the corner of her eye twitched uncontrollably. Forcing down her rage, she said, "What are these conditions? Speak, Abbot."
The Dharma Guardian Vajra placed his palms together in a salute and spoke. "First: from this day forward, the Liyang Dynasty is forbidden from holding the Martial Arts Examination in any location other than Kyoto."
As soon as the first condition was spoken,
the Empress no longer had any desire to hear the second.
But the Dharma Guardian Vajra clearly had no intention of stopping and continued, "Second: from this day forward, the Liyang Dynasty may no longer refer to itself as the legitimate sovereign of the land!"
The Empress gritted her teeth.
But the Dharma Guardian Vajra’s voice had not yet ceased. "Third: Your Majesty must abdicate as soon as possible. A successor, one who is satisfactory to both the Buddhist and Demon Sects, must be chosen from among the Clan Relatives to ascend the throne!"
The Empress’s face turned utterly black. Her long, slender fingers dug into her palms so deeply that fresh blood began to flow, yet she felt no pain.
The Dharma Guardian Vajra paused for a moment before speaking again. "And the final condition: the culprit who injured disciples from our two sects during the last Martial Arts Examination must be handed over to us for disposal!"
The Dharma Guardian Vajras of the Buddhist Sect were all paragons of vigorous qi and blood, and the cultivation of the Grandmaster Realm amplified this trait to its absolute zenith.
Thus, every word this Dharma Guardian Vajra spoke boomed as if through a megaphone, reverberating high above the entire Capital City.
After these four conditions were laid out, it wasn’t just the soldiers guarding the walls who were in an uproar.
The entire Capital City erupted in an uproar.
...
With a dark expression, the Empress remained silent.
But atop the wall, the Royal Clan Relatives and Imperial Court ministers had already begun to quarrel.
One faction of ministers was filled with righteous indignation, believing the conditions proposed by the two great sects were utterly unconscionable. They argued that even if it meant the destruction of the dynasty, Li Yang must fight them to the bitter end.
A larger number of ministers, however, remained silent, quietly observing the reactions of everyone else present.
The most vehement reactions came from the crowd of Royal Clan Relatives.
This group of Clan Relatives had varied reactions. Some began to curse and shout, yet their abuse was not directed at the two great sects below the wall, but at the Empress standing upon it, her face a thunderous mask.
"We told you not to provoke the Three Great Sects, but Your Majesty refused to listen! Now what are we supposed to do?"
"Without all these petty schemes, we would still be the sovereigns of the land. You made all these moves, and for what? Now we can’t even protect our title as rulers!"
"I said it from the start! No matter how gifted, no matter how intelligent, a woman cannot hold power! Now the thousand-year foundation of our Liyang Dynasty is being ruined at the hands of this slip of a girl!"
Among the Royal Clan Relatives were many old men whose status and standing were frighteningly high.
Many of them even possessed a degree of cultivation.
In their eyes, the Empress was but a junior among juniors. Thus, it was they who, relying on their lofty status, were the first to stand up and condemn her.
Gazing at the ugly, sneering faces of the Royal Family, Relatives, and high officials of the Imperial Court before her,
the Empress suddenly began to laugh after a long silence.
...